Wat Sri Mongkol (Wat Na Sai)

Wat Sri Mongkol — also called Wat Na Sai after the village it sits in — is a working temple in Wang Baan subdistrict, Lom Kao district, in the hilly western half of Phetchabun province near the Loei border. Free entry, no fixed hours; mornings are the reliable window to find the grounds open.

The temple dates to the late Ayutthaya or early Rattanakosin period — records point to around 1815 — when it was founded as “Wat Sai Ngam” (“Beautiful Sand Temple”), named by its first abbot, Luang Pho Ngoeng, for the red sand courtyard. It later took the names Wat Na Sai and Wat Sri Mongkol, both still in local use. The principal Buddha image, Phra Phuttha Mongkol, is a stucco figure in Lan Xang style, matching the temple’s roots in the Lao-influenced architecture common across this part of Isan and northern Thailand.

The real draw is the old sim (ordination hall), roughly 200 years old and registered by the Fine Arts Department as a nationally significant monument. Its roofline carries finials in a style traced to Luang Prabang, a visible marker of the cross-border Lan Xang influence in this part of Phetchabun. Inside, murals painted with pigment mixed in hide glue cover the plaster walls — scenes from the Buddha’s Ten Great Birth Tales, heaven-and-hell imagery meant to teach moral lessons, and depictions of ordinary local life at the time, including river trade along nearby waterways. These are the temple’s most valuable asset, and also its most fragile: the paint is original, not restored, so expect some fading and loss of detail on close inspection.

Insider Tip: Ask whoever’s on-site to unlock the sim if the door looks closed — it isn’t always staffed, and the murals are the entire reason to visit.

Watch out: There’s no formal ticket office, gift shop, or English signage. Bring cash for a small donation and don’t expect facilities beyond the temple grounds.

Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees — and remove shoes before entering the sim. This is a Phetchabun attraction best combined with Lom Sak Museum, about 12 km east in the neighbouring district, for a fuller picture of local Isan-Lao heritage in this part of the province.